Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-12-01

as in the present case it is about as bitter
a pill as anybody can be called on to sval-
low
DO you know he said, 81 think that
between you, you fellows have about work
ed a cure and he turned and walked
away, and | for one felt very sorry for him
All, if che moths H7ouid always carefully
avoid Gae candle, how few burned wings
there Void bel
That lay was Court day, when the
Queef.' sat in the great hall and recaivaf
petitR5 -, discussed laws etc. and thiUhar
we adjourned shortly afterward On our
way we were joined by Good, who was
looking exceedingly depressed, and no
wonder
When we got into the hill Nvle-..tha was
already Oh ner throne, ana proceeding win
business as usual, surrounded by council
lorS, courtlerS, lawyers, priests, and an rIn-
usually strong guard We saluted Nylep-
tina and took our ACT stoned places and
for a little while things went on as usual
when suddenly the trumpets began to cali
outside the palace, and from the great
crowd that was gathered there il ;inticipa-
ton of some unusual event, there rose a
ro.r of "SoraiS! Soraie..''
" All ila.-. my 5lGcI. answered Nylep-
that. 'Draw thou near. Fear not, give
thee safe conduct"
Sorais answered with a naughty look,
and swept on up the hall till she stood right
before the throne.
a UOOn, On lylleEU, SIZE CTl3u 6lS@9in.
"Speak on, my sister: what is there that
] can give thee who hath half our king
dorn2'
Thou canst tell me true word-me
and the people Of Zu-Vendis. Art thou, or
art thou not about to take this foreign
wolf" and she pointed to Sir Henry with
her toy spear, "to be q husband to thee,
and share thy bed and throne?'
Curtis WINGED at this, and turning to-
ward Sorais said to her in q low voice:
"Metninks that yesterday thou ha stother
names than wolf to call me By. O Green"
and saw her bite her lips as. ike q dam
ger-fag the blood famed red upon her face.
AS for Nyleptba, who was nothing If not
original, she, seeing that the thing was
out, and that there was nothing further to
be gained by cOncealment answered the
question in a novel and effectual manner,
Inspired thereto, as / firmly believe, by
coQuetry and q desire to triumph over her
rival
Up she rose, and descending from the
thrCIe, swept in all the glory OF Ter royal
grace on to where her lover stood There
she stopped and untWined the golden
snake that was wound around her arm.
Then she babe him kneel, and he dropped
on one knee on the marble before her, and,
next, taking the golden snake with both
her hands she bent the pure, soft metal
round his neck, and when it was fast, de
liberately kissed him on the brow, and
called him her dear lord"
Thou seest," she said, when the excited
murmur OF the spectators had died away,
addressing her sister, as Sir Henry rose to
his feet, 81 have put my collar round the
swolf's' neck and beholdl he shall be my
watchdog, and that is my answer to thee,
S)rais, my sister, and to those with thee.
Fear not" she went on, smiling sweetly
on her lover, and pointing to the golden
snake she had twined round his massive
throat; eff my. yoke be heavy, yet is it of
<roII cJoa1I ,,,n+rr hoo
Then, turning TO the audience, she con-
tinued, in clear, proud tone. Gay, Lady
of the Night, lords, priests. and people, here
gathered together, by this sign do ! take
the foreigner to husband, even here in the
face of We all What, am I q Queen, and
yet not free to choose the man whom viii
love? Then should [ be lower than the
meanest girl in all my provinces Nay, he
hath won my heart, and with it goes my
hand and throne, and all / have-ay, had
he been a beggar instead Of great lord,
fairer and stronger than any here, and
having more wisdom and knowledge of
strange things, had given him all, how
much more SO then, being what he ISL" and
she took his hand and gazed proudly on
him, and holding it, stood there boldly fac
ING the people.
It was bold stroke for her to make, and
it appealed to the imagination; but human
nature in Zu-VendiS, as elsewhere, loves
that which is bold and not afraid to break
a rule, and is, moreover, peculiarly suscept-
ible to appeals to It's poetical side.
And SO the people cheered till the roof
rang, but 'Sorais of the Night stood there
with downcast eyes, for she could not bear
to see her sisters triumph which robbed
her Of the man whom she had hoped to
win, and in the awfulness Of her jealous
anger she trembled and turned white like
an aspen in the wind. A really handsome
woman in a royal rage is always beauti-
full sight, but such beauty and such rage /
never saw combined before, and can only
say that the effect produced was well
worthy Of the two.
''And thinkest thou, Nyleptha,'' she
cried, in notes which pealed through the
great hall like a clarion, ''thinkest thou
that /, a Queen of the Zu-Vendi, will brook
that this base outlander shall sit upon my
fathers throne, and rear up half-breeds to
fill the place of the great House Of Stair
way? Never! never! while there is life in
my bosom and a man to follow me and a
spear to strike with. Who is on my side?
Who?
''Now, hand thou over this foreign wolf,
and those who came to prey here with him,
to the doom of fire, for have they not com
mitted the deadly sin against the Sun? or
Nyleptha, | give thee war-red war; Ay,
| say to thee that the path Of thy passion
shall be marked out by the blazing of thy
towns and watered with the blood of those
who cleave to thee On thy head rest the
the groans of the dying and the cries of the
widows and those who are left fatherless
forever and forever.
Il tell thee l will tear thee, Nyleptha,
the White Queen, from the throne, and
that thou shalt be hurled-ay, hurled, even
from the topnost stair OF the great way to
the foot thereof, in that thou hast covered
the name OF the house of him who built it
with black shame. And | tell We, stran-
gers, all save thou Bougwan, whom be-
cause thou didst do me a service, | viii
save alive if thou wilt leave these men and
follow me-" (here poor Good shook his
head vigorously, and calculated Cant be
done" in English, ''that will wrap you
in sheets Of gold and hang you yet alive in
chains from the four golden trumpets of
the four angels that fly east and west, and
north and south, from the giddiest pima
cles of the Temple, SO that We may be a
token and q warning to the land. And as
for thee, Incubu, thou shalt die in yet an
other fashion that I will not tell thee now"
She ceased, painting Tor breath. Tor her
passion shook her like storm. and a muir
muir, partly Of horror and partly Of admir-
alton, ran through the hall Then Nylep-
tina answered calmly and with dignity:
han ,oIo .,,1 a